Towel rack



Feb. 1, 1949. w, JQJAHQDA 2,460,505

TOWEL RACK Filed July 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. Wilt/4M J1#919004,

Feb. 1, 1949. w. J. JAHODA 2,460,505

TOWEL RACK Filed July 8, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v INVENTOR. Wl 1.4M J..m/roon,

%%6Mmrflmzdamz ATTORNEY:-

Patented Feb. 1, 1949 amass; V v

I froiwlinnaeli minim a enda, Purim-magnum .A inaimnruy 19 v. sexislluo.259452 This inventipn relates 'to supports, and more particularly-toe.t-owel raclg. A-main object f the inventionristo provide a novel andimprovedtowelrack of the folding-type which is very simple in -construct ion, *easy to install and-neat in appearance.

Afurther pbject-of the invention-is to' provide "an improved towel ;rackwhich inexpensive to "manufacture, {simple to manipulate and very sturdyin construction. i

Further objepts and advantages of the inventionwill-become apparent fromthe following d s iption and slams, aud-fromsth a c pa ying drawings,wherein:

Figure 71 is atopplanivicwxof atowel rack constructed in accordancewithithe rpresent .iinvention.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the towel rack ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 an enlarged -frag rnentary cross-sec- -tionaldetaikview-takenonline of Figure '1.

Figure is a view-of -a iPOI'biQH -of the -raok arm structure-of Figure'3 but-showing said raok arm structure in an inoperative position. I

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional detail view taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view taken through the endportion of a rack arm employed in the towel rack of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, I l designates a vertical plate member orsupport adapted to be secured to a kitchen wall or other suitablevertical surface. Plate member H is formed with a reverse bend I2 at itstop portion, said reverse bend defining an inner vertical plate element13, said plate element being arcuately downwardly bent at M andextending horizontally at IS. The end of horizontal portion I5 is bentto form an almost 7 cylindrical depending trough 16 extending in ahorizontal direction parallel to plate member H. As shown in Figure 1,the shape of horizontal portion I 5 is outwardly flaring, and thetroughlike portion I6 is at the base of the trapezoid defined by saidportion l5.

The troughlike portion I6 is formed with spaced slots I1, said slotsbeing in outwardly flaring angular relationship, and seated in saidtroughlike portion and rotatably engaging the edges of the slots I!therein are spherical ball members l8, said ball members being therebyretained against vertical or lateral movement in said trough portion.Each ball member I8 is formed with a bore l9 extending therethrough andslidably fitting said bore is a round rack arm 20. The diameter of rackarm is just small enough to allow the -AiGlazims. (Charla-doc) rack arm'to pass freely hetween the "walls -of-the slot 1'! 9n the edges ofwhich its associated *bazll -meniber +8 is seated.

Secured {to the ends of each rack arm, as by 5 threaded studs 21 carriedthereby are ball mem- "bers 22, the threaded studs threaded-1y engaginginside thread formed in the ends of the rack arm. =W hen the racket-runsare 'in horizontal out- ,wardly extending positions, the inner =ballends 22 thereof are received in the recess defined by *the arcuatelycurved plate portion I t, the major "portions "of -therack armsext-ending outwardly Tbeyond the pivot bail members =l8so that theweight of said major :port-ions holds the rack 1 arms -in'horizontalpos-itions.

"*Fhe rearward portions of the slots F1 are cirpularly enlarged, asshownat 2%, 50 that by slidiing the rack arms outwardly through thebores 4 9 --in"the'-ball-members {bland by ithen rotating said 20 rackarms downwardly, the inner endballs 22 -of the rack arms pass upwardlythrough the circu-larly enlarged slot portions 2 8 and allow :the rackarms to be spositioned :vertically in inoperative depending position-swith said-inner end balls 35 engaging the ba-ll members 18 and "beingreceived between an arcuate outer retaining lip 24 for the ball membersl8 formed on the outer edge of the trough l6 and the inner bent ballretaining top edge 25 of said trough, as shown in Figure 4. The arms maybe returned to horizontal positions by reversing the procedure abovedescribed.

The parts of the towel rack are preferably made of non-corrosive metalsuch as stainless steel, suitably plated brass, or the like, so that thesliding fit of the rack arms in the balls 18 will not be impaired byoxidation or corrosion of the parts. If desired, suitable durablenon-metallic materials such as plastic materials may be employed for thetowel rack components.

While a specific embodiment of a towel rack has been disclosed in theforegoing description,

it will be understood that various modifications" within thespirit ofthe invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it isin- 40 tended that no limitations be placed on the invention other thanas defined by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is z' I 1. A towel rack,. comprising a support, aforwardly extending plate member carried by said support, the forwardend portion of said plate member being formed with a depending channel,said plate member being formed with a plurality of slots extendingthrough the lower portion of said channel, ball members 'rotatablysupported on the edge portions of the slots in said channel, and rackbars passing through said slots and slidably passing through openings insaid ball members, said rack bars having enlarged inner end portionsadapted to engage the bottom of the plate member in horizontal position,and to be supported on the ball members when the rack bars are independing position.

2. A towel rack, comprising a support, a forwardly extending platemember carried by said support, the forward'end portion of said platemember being formed with a depending channel, said plate member forwardend portion being formed with a plurality of slots extending through thelower portion of said channel, said slots being in forwardly divergentangular relationship, a ball member rotatively supported on the edges ofeach slot in the channel, a, rack bar slidably passing through anopening in each ball member and passing through the slot associatedtherewith, the inner end of the rack bar being enlarged beyond the widthof the forward portion of the slot, and the rear portion of the slotbeing enlarged to allow said enlarged rack bar inner end to passtherethrough, the enlarged inner end portions of the rack bars adaptedto engage the bottom of the plate member in horizontal position, and tobe supported on the ball members when the rack bars are in dependingposition.

3. A towel rack, comprising a vertical support, a forwardly extendinghorizontal plate member carried by said support, the forward end portionof said plate member being formed with a depending approximatelycylindrical channel, said forward end portion being formed with aplurality of slots extending through the lower portion of said channel,ball members rotatively supported on the edges of-the slots in thechannel, a rack bar slidably passing through an opening in each ballmember and passing through the slot associated therewith, the end ofeach rack bar being enlarged beyond the width of the forward portion ofthe slot and the rear portion of the slot being enlarged to allowpassage therethrough of the inner enlarged rack bar end, the enlarged 4inner end portions of the rack bars adapted to engage the bottom of theplate member in horizontal position, and to be supported on the ballmembers when the rack bars are in depending position.

4. A towel rack, comprising a vertical support, a forwardly extendinghorizontal plate member carried by said support, said plate member beingupwardly recessed adjacent said support, the forward end portion of saidplatemember being formed with a depending approximately cylindricalchannel, said forward end portion being formed with a plurality of slotsextending therethrough and through the lower portion of the channel,said slots being in forwardly divergent angular relationship, ballmembers rotatively supported on the slot edges in the channel, a rackbar slidably passing through an opening in each ball member and passingthrough the slotted channel walls adjacent the ball member, the ends ofeach rack bar carrying a ball enlargement exceeding in width the widthof the forward portion of the slot, and the rear portion of the slotbeing enlarged to allow passage therethrough of the inner enlarged endportions of the rack bars, the lengths of each rack bar being more thantwice the distance of the ball member from the vertical support, wherebyeach rack bar may be supported in horizontal position by its own weightwith the enlargement engaging the recess in the plate member. 1

WILLIAM J. J AHODA.

REFERENCES CITED,

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATEN'E

